Ramsey relishing defensive duties

It’s fair to say that Aaron Ramey has had his struggles this season. His form hasn’t been great (despite scoring one of the goals of the season with a deft chip against Olympiacos), he’s been played out of position and, despite signing a new 5 year deal, has been written by off by some sections of the Arsenal fanbase.

Of course the only way a player can turn things around is through his performances, and after two very good displays in midfield against West Ham and Brighton, the Welshman is, at least, on the right track.

A more natural attacking midfielder, he’s been asked to do a disciplined, defensive job in the absence of Mikel Arteta and he’s enjoying the role.

“I think I’ve played well in the last two games,” he said. “I had a meeting with the boss the other week and he explained to me what’s required for this role. I think I’ve done that in the last couple of games and I feel good in myself.

“That’s pleasing for me and hopefully I can keep myself in the team and carry on. Hopefully I get picked for the next game.”

Ramsey is aware he has to curb his attacking insticts but says that it’s working out well with his midfield partners.

“I can still get forward but I’m a bit more restricted as to what I can do. You always have to be wary of the hole you’re leaving behind you, but there are occasions when I can get into the box and one of the other midfielders sits.

“Hopefully I can continue the form I’m in at the moment.”

It will take more than two performances to convince the manager he’s ready to be a regular starter in the Arsenal midfield, but it’s good to see him play well.

72 COMMENTS

I really like seeing players do well after big injuries, and with the year Ramsey had last year, he deserves it, and wants to do well for the Arsenal. That’s all I can ask for. From now on, I vote that we leave the Ramsey-bashing for the Neanderthals of Stoke

Ramsey has been solid for the last two games and approaching the form he was capable of before the horrific injury. He has never hidden himself behind his horrific injury, but Ramsey supporters can no longer put down dissappointing performances to injury break. Our very own Jacky boy came back and blew that theory into smithereens. Aaron just has to keep working hard like he always has and be loyal. We have a very special player in our hands and I do think this kind of defensive box to box midfielder is THE position for him.
COYG

They’re different people who suffered different injuries. Jack has an exceptional mentality, and his injury wasn’t caused by a one off traumatic event in the same way that Aaron’s was, so despite Jack regaining form so quickly Aaron deserves patience from the Arsenal faithful. That being said we still have every right to have high hopes for Ramsey and I think can look forward to Wilshere and Ramsey dominating matches like the 1-0 over United that lead directly to the the death of Osama bin Laden.

Agreed, he looks much calmer and more composed. Channeling a bit of Arteta and may it continue! Would be nice even, when we are pushing for additional creativity and goals, to see Ramsey come off the bench and allow Arteta to move a bit forward.

If the last couple of games are anything to go by they’ve found a role that he’s really suited to. It looks like he can be the long term successor to Arteta in a deeper midfield position. Perhaps not the most creative role, but doing the linking up and feeding the creative players, so that they can provide the spark for the forwards.

Kinda. His form was awful in the middle towards the end of last season (the run that precipitated all the Rambo-hating) and he had a few half decent performances out wide (as much as it is a wide position in our system) but it seems like less pressure in the double pivot role and a bit of a rest has done him good, rather than a black and white, wide-bad/centre-good relationship imo.

Great to see him doing well, we need another body who can do that in midfield considering Diaby’s injury record.

For Ramsey him and Diaby to have come back the way they have shows great strength. Theres no other two players I want to succeed at Arsenal more. Ramsey haters – ”Hes slows our moves down”. Most of them probably never played football in their lives.

I maintain that he slows our moves down, which inhibits his ability to play as one of the front four, and to a lesser extent the central midfielder. But if he can carve himself a niche in that deep-lying position, where time and space are far easier to come by, we will have something special on our hands.

I think because his major problem was that he wasn’t quite making the right decisions when close to the opposition box and his confidence dropped (assisted by the Arsenal fans of course). I don’t agree that time and space are easier to come by in the centre of midfield, but I think the passes that need to be played are often much more obvious and it’s more a case of being very sure of your control and your passes. I think his confidence will grow if he continues in that role and he *may* return to a more attacking role in the future.

Ramsey is by far my favourite player in this current arsenal squad, and always has been. He is a well-spoken, elegant lad, keeps himself to himself a little bit, but can be really tenacious on the pitch. Always puts a massive shift in, where ever he has to play, be it out wide or in the middle, and has many fantastic qualities both going forwards and defensively. He’s gotten some horrific abuse from Arsenal ‘fans’, and I hope he can keep this form going. He’s had a tough old time, with his injuries and the death of his mentor, Gary Speed, and I hope the fans get behind and support him all the way. This man has the potential to become one of arsenal’s all time greatest players, and I’m sure he’ll realise that potential in the years to come.

It would appear that while being perceived as an attacking midfielder, he’s actually better suited to the sort of deeper lying central midfield role that Carrick plays at United and Alonso plays at Real Madrid. We’ve plenty of attacking midfielders, but far fewer that can play this sort of role.

Let’s hope that Ramsey can now really add something to the team by playing in this position.

He’s my favourite player and I actually he’s passing is closest to Fabregas in terms of accuracy and range however his ball-retention skills are average. If he improves on that not only will be Arteta’s successor but we may have one of the best deep-lying playmakers in the league.

That he is more suited to defensive midfield is up for debate at the moment. As the link between defense and midfield, he has more touches of the ball and more passes, thus his confidence in himself grows. I still think his future is in the Rosicky role. Ramsey recently said that he would like to emulate Gerrard’s role in midfield, but a better example to follow would be Rosicky.

He’s been an absolute revelation. He’s gone from a player who I felt sympathetic for to a player I feel excited about in just 2 matches. I guess Wenger was never going to play him before Arteta, which is why he never normally plays there. But seeing him and Wilshere dominate the midfield together against WHU bodes very well indeed for the future. I always felt he was class, and now he’s beginning to show it. Good luck to you Rambo!

Wilshere was always more of an attacking MF, but being played in a deeper role is great for development as you can see the game being played in front of you, and you get an understanding of defensive duties as well as attacking ones. Wenger is perhaps trying the same trick with Ramsey, and with the welsh engine he’s got, it looks like quite a decent match.

He’s a very level headed and sensible guy. Doesn’t seem like a total nutcase, so won’t be getting booked an awful lot, and is intelligent enough to be able to adapt. He’s perfect to swap around with Arteta, who gets way over played and is a player we need to be fresh legged as much as possible. When he’s actually played in a position that suits him and doesn’t have too much responsibility to create he’s a very good player.
Long may his good form continue.

“Doesn’t seem like a total nutcase, so won’t be getting booked an awful lot”
Err he could and perhaps should have been booked within the first five minutes of each of the last 2 games, but in fairness I think that was more down to youthful enthusiasm than him being a nutcase

long way for him to win me over again. A couple of average games against a none existent west ham side and a championship outfit proves little to me. too slow mentally and physically for a side trying to get back to top4.

and, despite signing a new 5 year deal, has been written by off by some sections of the Arsenal fanbase.
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Dont be so polite, just call em what they are….. Clueless shit bag rubbish supporter cunty oiks.

Played in his natural and favoured position he will play well. To put him on the wing was just giving his knockers another bat to beat him with. someone already low on confidence just didn’t need that.
Another case of rank bad management from arsene on this one.

He played there for Cardiff at times – it’s not that he can’t do the job (he was good against City as well), he was just, as you say, short of confidence and playing deeper perhaps takes the pressure to be creative away from him.

I thought he lacked a little bit of sharpness, was in the red zone and was playing maybe with the handbrake on a little when he was on the wing. But now I feel he has a good desire to do well, this making him like a new signing with spirit and top, top, super duper quality in his game.

Happy for Ramsey, he is clearly a very talented footballer. I am sure he would be the first to admit a drop in performance levels though, he’s only young and in a competitive midfield with players with vast amounts of experience compared to him.

I always thought playing him out of position was even worse for form and confidence, he couldn’t get any momentum going with a run in the team and the fact we were not using him to his best ability.

I’m a big fan of Rambo and have never understood the abuse levelled at him by supporters.He may have had patchy form recently but he’s still capable of moments of absolute quality that, if it was Jack or Santi would have everyone enthralled. I think blogs put it simply the other day (paraphrase alert) – he’s doing the simple things more and is growing in confidence. Plus, he always gives 100% didn’t ask to become Cesc’s replacement last season (which is when he started to struggle). Being in and around the starting line up is a good position for him right now. I hope he makes a success of it and gets people’s support in the process.

Two promising showings by Rambo offers significant excitement for the future for me. After long having given up on his ability to shake off the ill effects from his injuries, particularly robbing him of that last 10% of his pace and explosion.

However, the past two good games were against sub par competition. I have no doubt Ramsey would be a great creative player for a mid tier club, but does he have what it takes against the upper echelon where his weaknesses, namely his lack of explosive physical attributes and his tendency to dally on the ball could be better exposed? If he gets the ball stolen closer to our own goal, the results will be far more disastrous than merely killing a creative opportunity.

Wednesday will be a great test for him, if he can show good ball retention and not turn it over to a snappy group of players like Suarez, Sturridge etc, and give us a great platform to build on, I will be much further along the way to a believer.

Lets just support every player that wears the shirt. We can all have our opinions but dont verbally bash our own players when they are on the pitch. It just fuck their confidence. We are supporters, the clues in the name. I read some horrible things posted to Santos on IG and however u feel about a player, abusing and berating them and their family in the virtual domain is totally unacceptable.

the ramsey faithfuls are having their day it seems.we who share a different opinion of him will have ours when he finally costs us the ‘4th position trophy’ with his misplaced passes and his overall slow play.

Jesus what’s with the personal vendetta!? Not only on this topic but on anything that remotely concerns Ramsey!? Did he pick on you as a kid? It’s like with your negative views on him you’d rather be proven right than wrong about him, regardless of whether its a detriment to the club or not. Just what the hell kind of Arsenal supporter is that?

Personally speaking I’m all for Ramsey developing into the world class player that most of us Arsenal fans know he can become.

I feel very smug about this, I’ve been sticking up for Ramsey for a while amongst Arsenal fans. He needs to be given time to develop and to regain confidence. As I’ve said before, he’d be best trying to emulate Pirlo rather than Fabregas.

I’m really happy for the guy, especially if he keeps adapting to the position.

When you consider that there are guys in the squad who are happy to sit on their backsides and take the money. It is sad that Ramsey gets shit from a lot of the fans, when he is happy: to adapt, play out of position, whatever it takes to get a game and help the team.

He has quality in him, seems to be in really good shape physically, regardless of quality (which I think he is still working to regain, that was one horror injury) he gives everything when he is on the pitch, and doesnt seem content to collect a paycheck and sit the bench.

The guy has been asked to play out of position by Wenger bc of a lack of wing options when injuries have occurred….and that is down to management and the depth of squad not Ramsey.

As a midfielder I believe he can be mainstay at Arsenal even if not an every match starting 11. I actually believe that while obviously not a defensive, punishing midfielder that sits in front of the back 4, that this spell there has helped greatly. He has been involved in more 50/50 tough challenges there and has strength in the challenge…..and I think it can only help his confidence with regard to his mental strength after the injury.

Ramsey will be a quality midfielder. Anyone who watched him before his injury must have seen his potential. Yes it’s taken a while for him to get back to where he was, no help playing out of position, but the vitriol aimed at one of our own is just typical of this impatient age we live in

guys why are you so sensitive even with measured criticism.dont act so precious.and no i dont have any vendetta on any of our players.i am a gooner thro and thro.but i watch the same games you do and sometimes feel we could do better than keep so much faith in players that do not contribute much to the overall perfomance or worse still inhibit the overall perfomance.

[…] hard to see how he would significantly strengthen the squad. The manager has Arteta, Coquelin and now Aaron Ramsey (not to mention Diaby and Wilshere), who can play in that deep midfield position, so it’s not […]

[…] hard to see how he would significantly strengthen the squad. The manager has Arteta, Coquelin and now Aaron Ramsey (not to mention Diaby and Wilshere), who can play in that deep midfield position, so it’s not […]